Hikes & Bikes - Duneland Ski Club

HomeHikes & Bikes

Our 2026 Hikes & Bikes

are off to a great start!

Watch your Newsletter

for upcoming events.

Weekly DSC Bike Rides are back!

Join us for a 10-mile bike ride on the Prairie Duneland Trail. Bike at your own pace, walk, jog, or rollerblade. We meet at Countryside Park North, just north of Route 6 (opposite Wilshire Drive) in Portage. We follow the good exercise with a casual dinner or drink at various local restaurants.

Bike, Hike, or Blade! Starting time is 6:00 PM. Call Charlie Cleek at 219-395-6666 for information or RSVP.

Cowles Bog played an important part in saving the Indiana Dunes!

The Cowles Bog Trail highlights an area of such outstanding plant diversity that it was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1965. Explore several distinct habitats including ponds, marshes, swamps, black oak savannas, and beaches. This location, where Dr. Henry Cowles conducted much of his early work in plant ecology and succession in the early 1900s, remains an important focus for scientific study today. Depending on our pace, we can hike 3.5 or 4.5 miles - overlooking Lake Michigan.

Let's meet at the Main (North) Lot, 1450 Mineral Springs Road, Dunes Acres, IN 46304, at 9:30 AM on Tuesday, June 23. (Look for the gravel entrance road on the right just before the town guardhouse.) Note, National Park passes are required for parking. (Jerry has an extra pass for the first person who asks for it.)

As always, dress for the weather and bring your own hydration. This time of year, ticks are still active and mosquitos are possible, so be prepared. There is one portable toilet at the parking lot.

After the hike, we can drive to Wagner's Ribs in Porter for good barbeque and refreshing beverages!

Historic Bailly Homestead

History Hikers on Bailly Steps

Bailly Cemetery - 1914

Hungry, thirsty History Hikers enjoyed a great lunch at the Village Tavern in Porter

Our Guest Host was a hit on our May 20 History Hike!

Our own Jack Anderson is a lifelong resident of this area gave us unique insights on the history of his neighborhood! The Augsburg Swedish Chapel and adjacent graveyard are a remarkable part of the region's history. We had 13 Dunelanders and two "drop in" visitors from Oregon enjoying a nice day and appreciating the history in our own backyard.

The Indiana Dune National Park includes many historic structures that have been preserved for the public to enjoy. After Jack's private tour of the Swedish Chapel, we started our hike from the Chellberg lot. The restoration of the 1835 Bailly Homestead is almost finished, and we took a group photo on the front steps. We learned about the Goodfellows Camp (and its current purpose as the Dunes Learning Center) before hiking through the lush woods to the Bailly family cemetery. Then on the Chellberg farm and the Sugar Shack, where Chris Disher shared his experience in tapping sugar maples and boiling down the sap for delicious maple syrup.

The après hike lunches are always fun! Sitting outdoors at the Village Tavern in downtown Porter was chilly, but the service, food, and beverages were excellent.

Spring Flowers abound at the IDNP Heron Rookery Trail!

The Heron Rookery Trail follows along a portion of the Little Calumet River that once featured over 100 Great Blue Heron nests. After 60 years of nesting here, the herons have moved on to new nesting grounds. These woods remain alive with dozens of birds including kingfishers, woodpeckers, and a wide variety of migrating and nesting warblers.

In spring, before the trees leaf out, the woodlands along this trail are blanketed with the most extensive display of spring wildflowers in the Indiana Dunes National Park. Trillium, spring beauties, and Dutchman’s breeches are just a few of the flowers you’ll see along this trail. Most years, the wildflowers peak from late April through mid-May.

There are two parking lots for the Heron Rookery Trail. We met at the Main (east) Lot on April 17 for the 2.8-mile out-and-back hike, with expert commentary from Chris Disher and others on the various spring flowers.

On the way to lunch, we made a quick stop at the Brincka Cross Gardens to catch the display of daffodils and magnolias in bloom. This Porter County park is a little-known gem.

Following the hike, we adjourned to the Gastro 49 Pub & Eatery in Chesterton.

Beautiful trilliums open up at Heron Rookery!

Eager hikers ready for Tolleston Dunes!

Tolleston Dunes is one of the most diverse habitats in the Indiana Dunes!

Named for the dune formations created by the receding Lake Michigan centuries ago, this rare black oak savannah habitat also includes wetlands and an amazing array of wildflowers through the seasons. This is a a 3.3-mile hike with moderate grades.

Twelve hikers - and Luna! - met at the Main Lot: 5800 U.S. Highway 12 (Dunes Highway), Ogden Dunes, IN 46368 at 9:30 AM on Thursday, March 26. Though it was too early for the spring wildflowers, the warm weather promised greenery and flowers soon!

Lunch followed at Wagner's Ribs in Porter. They had a great menu and handled the unexpected group very well.

An enthusiastic bunch on the trail!

Ah, the majesty of the Sandhill Cranes!

Every fall thousands of people drive south to the Jasper-Pulaski Reserve to see - and hear - the Sandhill Cranes fly in for a night's rest on their fall migration south. But the Sandhill Cranes show up in our backyard every year on their northern migration. It is quite a spectacle as they take off, spiral into the air, and gather into V-formations. Their loud calls, over-6-foot wingspans, and hopping preparations are fun to share with friends and family.

Out early to catch the action, we met at Cowles Bog at 8:30 AM on March 12, 2026.

Though the trails from here are great, this was never really about a hike. This was bird-watching to an extreme! We set up camp chairs close to the action, with binoculars and cameras to enhance the experience. If you couldn't make it this year, the Sandhill Cranes will be back - and so will we!

Thanks to Nanc Ashby for this great photo of these wonderful birds in flight.

Another great Winter Hike in the Indiana Dunes!

One of the oldest parks in the state system, Indiana Dunes State Park was established in 1925. This local gem provides year-round recreation, with popular Lake Michigan beaches in the summer and great hiking in all seasons.

Because not everyone has a State Park Pass, we met at the Dune Park Station of the South Shore Line, at 9:30 AM on Tuesday, February 10. Then we carpooled into the Park.

The trails were mostly packed snow cover - enough for the occasional cross-country skiers we encountered. This encouraged us to be daring, and we climbed the ridge at the Beach House Blowout and enjoyed great views of the shelf ice along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Taking Trail 9 out and Trail 10 back gave us a brisk 4.1-mile hike on a picture-perfect winter day!

For our après hike lunch we went to Joe & Freddy's, an old-fashioned diner with a great selection of food and beverages! It was BBQ Tuesday and everyone enjoyed a leisurely lunch.

Thanks to John and Pam Seaman, Jim O'Carroll, Sue Rosengard, and Ken Glucksberg for joining Hike Leader Jerry Mansell on a fun outing.

Winter hiking is a great way to experience the Indiana Dunes!

We met at the West Beach (376 North County Line Road, Gary) main parking lot at 9:30 AM on Wednesday, January 7. National Park pass is required.

Our hike took us on the Long Lake Loop, with great views overlooking Long Lake and the Great Marsh. In the spring, this area will highlight abundant lupines and the spectacular prickly pear blooms. Warm, clean restrooms were available at the parking lot - thanks, NPS!

And Tiny’s Coffee Bar in Miller Beach was a great place to warm up after the hike!

Thanks to Cheryl Wytovicz, Wes DeLeurere, Susan Brandstetter, Charlie and JoAnn Cleek, Chris and Dawn Disher, and Sue Rosengard for joining Hike Leader Jerry Mansell on this exhilarating adventure!

Après hike at Tiny's Cafe in Miller Beach!

DSC Hikes in 2025 took us to

great natural beauty in the

Indiana Dunes!

Historic properties in the

Indiana Dune National Park

include

The Bailly Homestead

The Bailly Cemetery

Chellberg Farm

Goodfellows Camp

The Coffee Creek Preserve

in Chesterton

makes for a great fall hike

along Coffee Creek

Each spring, the Heron Rookery Trail

erupts in a burst of colorful blooms.

And every fall, the Indiana Dunes National Park

conducts Ranger-led tours of the

ecologically unique Pinhook Bog.